Can following the rules be called rebirth?

Chapter 174, Section 172: A Drive
"Childhood sweetheart?"

The four-door sports car continues to traverse the streets and alleys of Jiangcheng.

"Of course it doesn't mean anything."

The driver, sitting in the front seat, remained calm and composed in response.

"It's just lyrics; they're just randomly chosen to create an image and rhyme. What else could they mean?"

"I see."

With her back to the light, Li Zhi's eyes sparkled as she openly stared at Zhou Mingyuan on her left while the driver was focused on driving.

"I thought this poem, 'Autumn Brew,' was written specifically for your childhood sweetheart."

"How can it be!"

Zhou Mingyuan looked straight ahead and spoke nonsense with a straight face.

"Use your brain, okay?"

"It's clearly written for older women who are about to graduate; it makes sense that they feel a lot of nostalgia for autumn, right?"

"What does this have to do with me? I didn't have a childhood sweetheart. I just wrote it casually."

"Ok."

Li Zhi pursed her lips and remained silent.

There was a red light in front of them, and the afternoon sun shone obliquely through the car window onto the two of them.

Zhou Mingyuan could even see the edges of the short-haired girl's cheeks gleaming with a tiny velvety sheen.

Before we knew it, the familiar Nanhu Avenue had long been left behind, and the car fell silent.

All that remained were the Cantonese songs playing from the stereo, the deep breathing of the engine, the faint sound of wind breaking, and the rustling of tires over the road.

To truly enjoy a "go-go" experience, you have to drive fast.

Soon the car entered the riverside expressway, and the traffic gradually decreased.

The road was wide, the air was humid, and in the distance, the Yangtze River Bridge looked like a galaxy that had fallen into the river.

"By the way, I remember you said last time that Weiwei's birthday is on the 23rd, right?"

Zhou Mingyuan tapped the steering wheel unconsciously with his fingers, and finally spoke, his voice not loud, just enough to drown out the engine noise.

"Ah."

Li Zhi nodded.

What gift are you planning to give her?

"."

Li Zhi did not answer immediately.

She turned her gaze away from the window, turned her head, and her eyes fell on Zhou Mingyuan's smiling profile.

"Guess."

"Give her a handbag?"

Zhou Mingyuan immediately took over the conversation.

"No. Why a bag?"

"I asked the short-haired girl."

"Because it cures all diseases!"

The man grinned: "Giving a handbag is never a bad idea."

Years of experience in the world of women have taught him an irrefutable truth: a girl can never have too many handbags.

"You're quite knowledgeable."

Li Zhi pursed her lips slightly, looked back with a half-smile, and replied in a drawn-out voice.

"Oh right, the 23rd is the week after next."

Zhou Mingyuan spoke casually and nonchalantly.

"We've worked together, so I should prepare a gift for her, don't you think?"

"Yeah, whatever."

Li Zhi repeated softly, her voice, with a slight Cantonese accent, sounding exceptionally clear in the enclosed space.

From any perspective, even in the simplest friendship, giving small gifts on a birthday is perfectly reasonable.

For some reason, the short-haired girl seemed to be able to guess what the other person was about to say next.

What kind of gifts does Gu Caiwei like?

Could you please give me some advice?
What do you think would be a suitable gift for me?
Strangely, after that question, Zhou Mingyuan returned to his focused driving posture and didn't press the matter further. He, who never let the conversation fizzle out, was unusually silent.

If he's not curious, why ask this?

A few seconds later, Li Zhi asked again.

"What, you're planning to give Weiwei a handbag?"

"Don't blame me for not reminding you, the bags she usually uses are not cheap."

"Hmm, I do know that."

The man nodded.

"You've been observing Vivi quite a bit, haven't you?"

Li Zhi's tone was somewhat teasing, but her gaze was directed directly at him.

"Does this even need observation?"

Zhou Mingyuan curled his lip, looking as if it were a matter of course: "I recognize all your bags too."

“I remembered it from my internship: you liked to carry that Loewe woven basket bag on Mondays, and on Tuesdays you would mostly wear a long skirt with a size 18 basket bag with a long shoulder strap, and on Wednesdays…”

"At worst, you can just buy it according to your preferences and style; it's not difficult at all."

"Go, go, go."

Li Zhi turned her head away, speechless, stumped by his rigorous logic.

dog man.

Where do these piercing eyes come from!

Her first reaction was actually somewhat surprised.

This guy had already been secretly observing me back when I was interning at the court.

Zhou Mingyuan is so meticulous?
Well, that's always been him.

Observing myself like this, I could let it go, but...
Since he said that, is he also using this meticulous attitude to analyze Gu Caiwei?

Go pick out a gift for Gu Caiwei?
Is that so?
The short-haired girl was both annoyed and amused, so she simply turned her head away, not wanting to talk about these things, and steered the conversation in another direction.

"Zhou Mingyuan, you're pressing the accelerator so gently. Is that fair to this Porsche and its V6 engine?"

"It's so slow, it doesn't feel like a drive at all."

"what?"

Zhou Mingyuan turned his gaze to the side, only to meet Li Zhi's burning gaze.

My heart skipped a beat as I looked into the other person's bright eyes, as if I had been gently stung by something.

His fingers tightened, and almost reflexively, he stomped his right foot down hard!
"boom--!"

The engine revs spiked instantly.

The intense push-back sensation felt like an invisible hand, forcefully pressing the two of them onto the leather seats.

Li Zhi's body lurched backward, her meticulously styled short hair flying backward with the inertia, a few strands brushing her forehead, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"How about it?"

"As you wish, is it not?"

"."

She instinctively grabbed the armrest above her head, her knuckles turning white from the force, but there was no panic on her face. Instead, her eyes shone even brighter, like sparks ignited in an instant.

The speedometer needle swung rapidly to the right, and the scenery outside the window became a blurry band of light. The window was opened a crack, and a strong river breeze rushed in, carrying moisture and coolness.

The wind ruffled Li Zhi's hair and also dissipated the slightly stuffy aromatherapy scent inside the car.

The sound of the tires gripping the road became clearer.

"Do you have the guts?"

Zhou Mingyuan's voice was carried by the wind, carrying a hint of youthful provocation that he himself was unaware of.

He stared intently at the empty road ahead, his adrenaline surging. The feeling of controlling this mechanical beast made him temporarily forget everything.

"good."

Li Zhi drew out her words, and she even loosened her grip on the handrail, letting her body sway slightly with the vehicle's turn.

"Going for a drive, that's what makes it exciting."

She raised her hand and casually tucked the wind-blown strands of hair behind her ear, revealing her well-defined jawline and the small diamond stud earring on her earlobe.

The wind made her squint slightly.

(End of this chapter)